The Heiress's Game

Gu Yunjin was browsing a gossip forum. Today's post was about the love-hate relationship between Zhang Zhuoran's parents.

Zhang Mingyuan and his first wife both came from rural backgrounds. In the early 1990s, they made their first fortune in the building materials business in Lanhai. They caught the wave of the commercialization of real estate and went from a construction team to a construction company, and from the construction company to Zhang's Real Estate.

The post included an old photo, which was very blurry, but you could tell it was of a young couple standing in front of a newly completed building. The man was wearing a large suit, and the woman was holding a safety helmet. They were both smiling.

"The original wife is truly capable of enduring hardship," the poster wrote.

"She was in charge of the project management for the earliest projects of Zhang's Real Estate. Even when she was pregnant, she was still on the construction site reconciling accounts with the contractors. Later, she was diagnosed with a liver problem, which some people said was caused by overwork."

During the two years she was seriously ill, Zhang Mingyuan was having affairs with two women at the same time, one of whom even came to their door to cause trouble.

The latter half of the post discusses the share transactions made by the first wife before her death.

She transferred all her assets into shares of Zhang's Real Estate, wrote it down in a trust, and designated her son Zhang Zhuoran to inherit it after he came of age.

The poster sighed, "This first wife is a ruthless person. Knowing she didn't have long to live, she locked up all the money she could get and gave it to her son."

If she hadn't done this, Zhang Mingyuan would have already distributed these shares to his other women.

Then came Zhang Mingyuan's remarriage. His current wife is six years older than Zhang Zhuoran. She was originally the public relations manager of Zhang's Real Estate and worked for Zhang Mingyuan for several years before becoming his official wife after his first wife passed away.

The post included her photo; she wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she was shrewd and had a professional smile on her lips.

To the outside world, she is now the person in charge of Zhang's Real Estate, and she always stands in the center position at various signing ceremonies and opening ceremonies.

But the one who actually makes the decisions is Zhang Mingyuan.

The comments section below has already scrolled through dozens of pages. Some people lamented how pitiful the original wife was, suffering for decades, her health collapsing as the company grew, and even on her deathbed, she had to completely divide her shares to protect herself from other women.

Some people criticize Zhang Mingyuan for never controlling his sexual desires, saying that the number of his illegitimate children is enough to form a mahjong table.

Some people have analyzed Mrs. Zhang's methods—she managed to stand out from a crowd of women to become the main wife and also obtain the management rights of Zhang's Real Estate. This woman is no ordinary person.

Some people say that the management rights don't matter, the real decision is still made by Zhang Mingyuan himself, and Mrs. Zhang is just a figurehead.

Gu Yunjin read the "stamped on stage" comment twice, then closed the forum.

It turns out that blind dates are never a bad thing.

Gu Yunjin repeated the sentence in her mind.

If Wang Manyun hadn't arranged this blind date, she wouldn't have met Zhang Zhuoran.

After getting to know each other and meeting a few times, we hit it off and became friends.

Once you become friends, you can talk about certain things.

During that period, she frequently met with Zhang Zhuoran. Sometimes he would ask her out, and sometimes she would ask him out.

We went to casual places, and the topics we talked about became increasingly boundless.

Zhang Zhuoran told her about the stupid things the young founders in tech incubators did, and how her professors in London made things difficult for Chinese students.

When they got excited, Zhang Zhuoran would slap the table and laugh, and Gu Yunjin would laugh too, making the coffee cups clink together.

On one occasion, Zhang Zhuoran suddenly said, "My mother left me some shares, and I want to sell them and cash out."

He said this while the two of them were sitting in their usual spot at the craft beer bar downstairs from Zhang Zhuoran's company.

As usual, he had a glass of IPA in front of him, while Gu Yunjin had a glass of hot lemon tea.

"They're all directly held by Zhang's Real Estate. I want to sell. I'm more optimistic about technology, you know. But with this money tied up, I can't do anything about it."

"Then go ahead and sell it." Gu Yunjin picked up her lemon tea and took a sip.

"It's not that simple. I've asked a few friends, and they don't really agree. They say the real estate market is booming right now, and cashing out would be foolish. They also say this is something my mother left me, and selling it would be unfair to her."

Gu Yunjin put down the cup and gently circled her finger around the rim.

She didn't respond immediately; for a few seconds she simply sat there quietly, as if pondering a friend's confusion, her expression carrying just the right amount of concern.

—Not too much, not too little, just enough for the other person to feel that their problem has been taken seriously.

"Your friends have a point," she began, her tone flat, as if stating a basic economic principle.

"The real estate market is indeed booming right now. But I've recently been looking at data from Japan in the 1980s—at its peak, a single commercial plot in Ginza, Tokyo, could buy the entire state of California. Everyone thought prices would keep rising forever."

She paused, picked up her lemon tea, and took another sip, as if organizing her thoughts.

"Of course, I'm not saying that things will definitely turn out that way in China; every country's cycle is different."

However, when it comes to something that everyone thinks will rise in price, your friend's advice is also based on this assumption.

The assumption isn't necessarily wrong, but it needs to be examined. You decide for yourself.

Zhang Zhuoran remained silent for a while.

"Actually, I hate my father," he suddenly said.

Gu Yunjin did not respond.

"My mother and he built their business from scratch and endured so much hardship. And he, on the other hand, never controlled himself in his entire life. My mother was so sick, and he was having a child with another woman."

"My mother was angered to death by him. Not just for one day, but for many years."

"My mother was later diagnosed with a liver problem. By the time it was discovered, it was already in its late stage. The doctor said it was related to long-term emotional depression."

Zhang Zhuoran picked up the cup and took a sip.

"I was fifteen when she passed away. My dad cried very hard at her funeral. I looked at his tears and thought to myself, 'Why are you crying now? When she was alive, you should have come home and eaten a few more meals. That would have been better than anything else.'"

He shook his head after he finished speaking, as if shaking off something that shouldn't be clinging to him.

"After that, I stopped thinking about it. Anyway, those shares in Zhang's Real Estate are just an asset to me, no different from any other asset."

His voice was very low, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"So you know what? I've already figured out how to disgust him."

"I want to sell it to someone outside, anyone is fine, but it's definitely not Zhang Mingyuan."

Gu Yunjin looked at his face, which was illuminated by the dim yellow lights of the bar.

At thirty-three years old, with top-notch abilities, he single-handedly carved out a technological empire within his father's business empire that was completely separate from the Zhang family's system.

But when he spoke the name "Zhang Mingyuan," there was something that had been weighing on his eyes for a long time.

Gu Yunjin lowered her head, then raised it again, her voice very soft, as if she were simply helping a friend clarify their thoughts.

"Selling it to outsiders might disgust your father, but it's not worth it."

"Your aunt has suffered so much, she wants you to be happy and live a good life."

"From the perspective of maximizing profits, I suggest you sell the shares to your father."

Zhang Zhuoran looked up at her.

"There are two advantages," Gu Yunjin said softly.

"First, your father hasn't made a will yet. Given your family's situation—multiple illegitimate children and a young wife by your side—what will he think of you giving up your shares now?"

You voluntarily relinquished your real estate rights; you stopped fighting for it. He'll think you're sensible. That goodwill is more valuable than anything in your father's position.

She picked up her lemon tea, took a sip, and spoke in a calm tone, as if she were analyzing a purely business case.

"Secondly, if you're going to sell, then sell it for a good price. When you talk to your dad, don't talk about profits, talk about feelings. Tell him you're willing to give up your shares."

Because you want to use this money to do technology, but that's not the main reason—the main reason is that this share was left to you by your mother, and every time you see it, you're reminded of what your mother looked like before she passed away.

You don't want to hold onto it anymore; you want to let go. You ask him if, for your mother's sake, he could give you a fair price.

She put the cup down.

"Play the victim, talk about sentimentality, and then take the money and leave. If you play the emotional card well, the price will be at least 20% higher."

Zhang Zhuoran leaned back into the sofa, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the rim of his cup.

His gaze moved from Gu Yunjin's face to the chandelier on the ceiling, which was made from a motorcycle wheel hub, and then back again.

That look wasn't one of doubt; it was the look of someone who had mentally rehearsed every possible step and found that every step was feasible, and that the person who told them how to proceed knew the answer better than they did.

"You're more capable than everyone on my investment committee combined; I've already made that conclusion."

He finished the last sip of IPA in his glass, "but now I need to update my conclusions."

"Updated to what?"

"You know my dad better than all of them combined."

Gu Yunjin smiled but didn't respond.

She picked up her now-cold lemon tea, held the rim to her lips, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhang Zhuoran sit up straight again, take out his phone, and scroll to a contact page in his address book labeled "Old Man".

She mentally added a footnote to his assessment. Not because she understood his father.

It's because she understands the deepest part of every man sitting at the top of the pyramid—Duan Zhengchun-style self-pity.

The women outside want money, and the sons at home want power. Only the one who takes the initiative to give up, who talks about feelings, and who says "I want to let go" can hold a special place in his heart.

As for Zhang Mingyuan's decision to buy back the shares, making his holdings more concentrated, and investing more in the next group investment by Zhaoyang Club—that's another matter.